Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
22. is kindled ] but with the force of flaring up quickly, Jer 15:14; Jer 17:4, Isa 50:11; Isa 64:2 (1); it is not necessary to render ’aph, anger, by its original meaning nostril.
pit ] Heb. She’ol, underworld, Psa 86:13.
increase ] See Deu 11:17.
And setteth on fire ] licks or flames about; only in late writings.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 22. The lowest hell] sheol tachtith, the very deepest destruction; a total extermination, so that the earth – their land, and its increase, and all their property, should be seized; and the foundations of their mountains – their strongest fortresses, should be razed to the ground. All this was fulfilled in a most remarkable manner in the last destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, so that of the fortifications of that city not one stone was left on another. See the notes on Mt 24:1-51.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A fire is kindled, i.e. great and grievous judgments shall be inflicted, which oft come under the name of fire, &c. See Deu 4:24; Eze 30:8; Amo 2:2,5.
Unto the lowest hell, or, unto hell, or the graves beneath. The sense is, it shall not only burn up all the corn and fruits and buildings which appear above ground, but it shall reach to the inwards and depths of the earth, and burn up the very roots and hopes of future increase.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
For a fire is kindled in mine anger,…. Here begins the account of temporal and corporeal judgments inflicted on the Jews for their disbelief and rejection of the Messiah, their contempt of his Gospel, and ill treatment of his followers; and this here respects the destruction of the land of Judea in general, and the burning of the city and temple of Jerusalem in particular, as the effect of the wrath and anger of God like fire kindled against them:
and shall burn unto the lowest hell; which denotes an entire destruction, like that of the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone from heaven; which issued in a sulphurous lake, and which sulphureous matter sunk to the bottom of the Dead Sea; and to that destruction is this of the land of Judea compared, De 29:23;
and shall consume the earth with her increase: the land of Judea, with the cities and towns in it, and buildings on it, and the fruits of the earth; which were either gathered into their barns and storehouses, or were growing in their fields, and vineyards, and oliveyards; all were destroyed and consumed at or before the destruction of Jerusalem, or quickly after it:
and set on fire the foundations of the mountains; the city of Jerusalem, as Jarchi himself interprets it, whose foundations were by the mountains, according to Ps 125:2; and the temple of Jerusalem particularly was built on Mount Moriah, and that as well as the city was utterly consumed by fire: and it is remarkable that when Julian the apostate attempted to rebuild it, as is related even by an Heathen historian a, that flames of fire burst out from the foundations, and burnt the workmen; so that he was obliged to desist from his rash undertaking.
a Ammian. Marcellin. l. 23. in initio.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
22. For a fire is kindled in mine anger. He confirms what went before, but more generally; for He compares His anger to a burning fire, which should penetrate to the deepest abysses, and should utterly consume their land, so as not to spare the very roots of the mountains. This metaphor is, indeed, of frequent occurrence; but here more is expressed by it than in other passages. In the same sense also it is presently added, that God would spend all his scourges and arrows upon them; since, when His implacable anger is once aroused, there are no bounds to His severity. The verb אספה aspheh, may, however, also be taken for to heap, or to superadd; (270) but I willingly follow the more received interpretation, viz., that God will not omit anything to destroy them, as if He would apply to this purpose all weapons which were at hand.
(270) It will be seen that C. translates both the verbs in this verse, אספה aspheh, and אכלה, acalleh, by the same word, consumam; whilst A. V. renders the first I will heap, and the latter, I will spend; in accordance with the view of Ainsworth, Mareldus, and Dathe.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(22) For a fire is kindled in mine anger.Quoted by Jeremiah (Jer. 15:14, and comp. Jer. 17:4).
The foundations of the mountains.Rashi says, Jerusalem, which is founded on the mountains, as it is said, Jerusalem, the mountains are about her (Psa. 125:2).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. For a fire is kindled in mine anger A fire blazes up in my face. Comp. Psa 18:8: “There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.” The figure of the anger of Jehovah consuming to the lowest depths is terrible in grandeur, and calculated to impress upon the Hebrews the peril of apostasy.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 22. For a fire is kindled in mine anger For a fire will break forth through my nostrils. Schult. 56. 59. It might be rendered Certainly a fire, &c. These strong and figurative expressions announce the dreadful calamities which Providence would inflict upon the land of Judea, and seem to import the total consumption of it. See Eze 30:8. Amo 2:5. What we render, shall burn unto the lowest hell (i.e. to the lowest parts of the earth, as the word hell signifies, Num 30:16; Num 30:16.) Houbigant renders more properly, shall burn to the lowest foundations. Shall consume the earth, in the next clause, should be rendered, shall consume the land; shall make it utterly desolate. Isa 1:7. And set on fire the foundations of the mountains, signifies, literally, shall subvert their strongest fortresses; which was eminently fulfilled in the last destruction of Jerusalem: for Titus himself, as Josephus tells us, observing the vast height of the walls, the bigness of every stone, and the exact order wherein they were laid and compacted, cried out, “God was with us in this war: it was He who drove the Jews from these munitions: for what could the hands of men or machines avail against such towers!” Which brings to mind what is related by Ammianus Marcellinas, that when the emperor Julian ordered the temple of Jerusalem to be rebuilt, terrible globes of fire burst out near the foundations, which overturned all, burnt the workmen, and made the place so inaccessible that they desisted from the attempt. But we cannot wish our readers greater improvement or satisfaction than they will find in reading Bishop Warburton’s incomparable book on this subject, entitled Julian.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Deu 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Ver. 22. For a fire. ] See Trapp on “ Deu 10:4 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
hell = sh’eol.
set on fire. Hebrew. lahat. First occurrence.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
For a fire: Deu 29:20, Num 16:35, Psa 21:9, Psa 83:14, Psa 97:3, Isa 66:15, Isa 66:16, Jer 4:4, Jer 15:14, Jer 17:4, Lam 2:3, Lam 4:11, Eze 36:5, Nah 1:6, Mal 4:1, Mal 4:2, Mar 9:43-48, 2Th 1:8, Heb 12:29
shall burn: or, hath burned
lowest: Psa 86:13, Isa 30:33, Zep 3:8, Mat 10:28, Mat 18:9, Mat 23:33
shall consume: or, hath consumed, Isa 24:6, Isa 24:19, Isa 24:20
foundations: Job 9:5, Job 9:6, Psa 46:2, Psa 144:5, Isa 54:10, Mic 1:4, Nah 1:5, Hab 3:10
Reciprocal: Num 11:1 – and the fire Num 11:10 – the anger Deu 4:24 – thy God Deu 28:59 – General Deu 31:17 – my anger Jdg 2:20 – the anger 2Sa 22:9 – went 2Ki 22:17 – shall not be Job 19:11 – kindled Job 40:11 – Cast Psa 16:10 – my Psa 18:7 – foundations Psa 78:21 – a fire Psa 78:63 – fire Psa 79:5 – jealousy Psa 88:6 – lowest Isa 9:18 – wickedness Isa 24:18 – the foundations Isa 30:27 – burning Isa 42:25 – he hath poured Jer 7:19 – they provoke Jer 17:27 – then Jer 21:12 – lest Jer 50:32 – kindle Eze 19:12 – the fire Eze 20:47 – I will kindle Eze 22:21 – and blow Eze 23:25 – I will set Eze 24:8 – it might Eze 30:8 – when I Eze 38:18 – that Hos 8:5 – mine Jon 2:6 – mountains Mic 6:2 – foundations Mic 6:14 – and thou Zec 11:1 – that
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 32:22. For a fire is kindled in mine anger In this verse are predicted the dreadful calamities which God would bring upon the land of Judea, in words which seem to import the total ruin of it. Devouring judgments are here compared to fire, as they are also Eze 30:8; Amo 2:5. And from hence to Deu 32:28, the destruction of their city and country by the Romans, and the dreadful calamities which they have suffered since in different ages, seem chiefly to be intended. And shall burn to the lowest hell Or to the lowest parts of the earth, as the word , sheol, here rendered hell, signifies: Num 16:30-33. Most destructive calamities are meant, judgments that should never cease till they had overturned the whole Jewish constitution. And set on fire the foundations of the mountains That is, subvert their strongest fortresses, yea, Jerusalem itself, founded on the holy mountains, which was perfectly fulfilled in its destruction by Titus. And, according to Josephus, Titus himself, though a heathen, saw and acknowledged the hand of God in the affair. For, observing the vast height of the walls, the largeness of every stone, and the exact order wherein they were laid and compacted, he cried out, God was with us in this war: it is he that drove the Jews from these munitions. For what could the hands of men or machines have availed against such towers? Perhaps it may not be improper to mention here, as a further illustration of this prophecy, and its accomplishment, what is related, not only by the Christian writers of that age, Chrysostom, Sozomen, and Socrates, but also by Ammianus Marcellinus, a heathen historian, that when Julian the Apostate ordered the temple of Jerusalem to be rebuilt, with a view to give the lie to our Saviours prophecy concerning it, terrible globes of fire burst out near the foundations, which overturned all, burned the workmen, and made the place so inaccessible, that they desisted from the attempt. See Bishop Warburtons book, entitled Julian.